Wisdom teeth are most notoriously known for the problems that they can often cause. In fact, for some people, the mere mention of wisdom teeth automatically brings up thoughts of discomfort, pain, and more. That’s because wisdom teeth – the non-official name for your third molars – often don’t have the room they need to develop and erupt properly. Because of this, they can become impacted by nearby teeth, leading to a host of increasingly worse concerns until you have them extracted. At our Northeast El Paso, TX, dental office, we can help you address or avoid those concerns by recommending and performing customized wisdom tooth extraction.
Growth and development of third molars
Wisdom teeth are officially known as third molars because they’re the 3rd set of permanent molars to develop along your dental ridges. Typically, wisdom teeth begin to erupt by the age of 17 years old, after all of your other permanent teeth have fully developed and erupted. For many people, the full row of permanent teeth that have already erupted leave little at the ends of your dental ridges. This can lead to a host of problems as the tooth tries to erupt; it won’t stop, and if the tooth is impacted, then it will continue to push against the opposing tooth.
How a wisdom tooth gets impacted
The lack of ample room along the dental ridge is one of the most notable reasons why wisdom teeth can become impacted. Without enough room, the teeth will be forced out of alignment, turning horizontal or perpendicular instead of remaining straight and vertical. Depending on the specific angle of the impaction, the wisdom tooth may never erupt from the gum line, or only partially erupt, as it becomes stuck within your jawbone structure.
How to solve the problem
When wisdom teeth become impacted, the only viable solution is usually to extract them. Because the tooth is impacted within your jawbone, we may need to perform surgical extraction to expose and remove all the tooth’s structure. Surgical wisdom tooth extraction can often be performed conservatively and completed during just a single visit to our offi
Learn if you need wisdom tooth extraction
If your wisdom tooth or teeth have become problematic, then learn more about the benefits of extracting them as soon as possible. For more information, schedule a consultation by calling Sunny Smiles in Northeast El Paso, TX, today at 915-581-6688! We also have offices in West and East El Paso, and we happily serve patients from Chaparral, Canutillo, Vinton, and all surrounding communities.